Putham Pudhu Kaalai Movie Review: Fun, relatable and an emotional concoction of stories

Putham Pudhu Kaalai, an Amazon Prime Video Original anthology brings together five top filmmakers from Kollywood for a project that was shot in lockdown. Sudha Kongara Prasad, Gautham Menon, Suhasini Mani Ratnam, Rajiv Menon and Karthik Subbaraj let their creative juices flow and came with some enjoyable, fun and melodramatic short stories for Putham Pudhu Kaalai.

The common motif in these five stories is relationships coming together during the 21-day lockdown. All the characters are stuck at home and have nowhere else to go, courtesy the coronavirus. How this situation mends certain relationships and how it gives birth to some, forms the crux of the film.

Ilamai Idho Idho by Sudha Kongara Prasad

Ilamai Idho Idho is perhaps the boldest attempt in this anthology. The film traces the journey of Jayaram and Urvashi, who are in their 60s. They both lie to their families and plan a two-day stay at Jayaram’s house. The lockdown forces them to live together for three weeks. Their younger versions are played by Kalidas Jayaram and Kalyani Priyadarshan.

Ilamai Idho Idho is fun to watch only because of Urvashi and Jayaram’s crackling chemistry. There is some warmth when you watch elderly people seeking companionship when they are old. In Ilamai Idho Idho, they have their own sets of challenges, yet they begin to realise that they are supposed to grow old together because they love each other.

Avarum Naanum/Avalum Naanum by Gautham Menon

Another refreshing story in this anthology is Gautham’s Avarum Naanum/Avalum Naanum. This short explores the relationship between a grandfather (played by MS Bhaskar) and his granddaughter (an excellent Ritu Varma). Ritu is not particularly fond of her grandfather as he did not accept his daughter who married a man of her choice. Due to the lockdown, Ritu moves into his grandfather’s house to take care of him.

During the course, they learn about each other and sort out their differences. From MS Bhaskar mouthing cool English lines to Ritu nailing the emotional sequences, Avarum Naanum/Avalum Naanum tugs at your heartstrings. There are some typical Gautham Menon moments in the form of voice-overs and women addressing her husband as kanavar (Tamil word for husband).

Coffee Anyone? by Suhasini Mani Ratnam

Suhasini Mani Ratnam’s short takes the melodramatic route. Anu, Suhasini and Shruti Haasan are sisters. While Anu and Suhasini come to Chennai to celebrate their mom’s 75th birthday, Shruti, who is a rebel, stays away from home. Their mom is in a coma, but that doesn’t let their father love her any less. How the family comes together to celebrate the birthday forms the story.

The story of Coffee Anyone? is interesting, but the ending is quite melodramatic and reminds us of over-the-top serials where miracles happen. Shruti Haasan shines in this even though her role is brief. The camaraderie between their parents is heartwarming to watch. If Suhasini had opted for a less-melodramatic ending, Coffee Anyone? would have hit the right notes.

Reunion by Rajiv Menon

Cinematographer-director Rajiv Menon’s Reunion shows coming together of two high-school friends Sadhana (Andrea Jeremiah) and Vikram (Sikkil Gurucharan) during the lockdown. Sadhana comes to Vikram’s house as her bike gets repaired. Vikram suggests Sadhana stay with him and his mom (Leela Samson) as it is not safe to travel. During her stay, Sadhana’s cocaine addiction is exposed and the story explores how Vikram and his mom help her. Reunion does not have judgemental eyes and rather takes an informed stand on substance abuse. Andrea is terrific as a rock singer, but it is Carnatic singer Sikkil Gurucharan who takes the cake with his casual acting. Reunion, as the name suggests, has a breezy ending that puts a smile on your face.

Miracle by Karthik Subbaraj

Miracle has Karthik Subbaraj written all over it. It shows two petty thieves Bobby Simhaa and his sidekick trying to strike gold with one big loot. They keep listening to a godman who always spout lines on miracles. With some quirky lines and interesting twists, we wait and see if Bobby and his sidekick will succeed or not.

Miracle is at its quirky best, especially with the plot. Perhaps, this is the shortest of the lot and leaves you wanting for more. While the rest of the stories are high on emotions, Miracle takes a different route and gives Putham Pudhu Kaalai a nice fun ending.

On the whole, Putham Pudhu Kaalai is a delightful anthology that makes you realise the worth of relationships in your life.

We’re going with 3.5 stars out of 5 for Putham Pudhu Kaalai.

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